The Bench
Every app on this site is tested on five real phones before a download page lists anything: a Galaxy A55 on Android 15, a Pixel 8 on Android 16, a Redmi Note 13 Pro on Android 14, an Infinix Note 40 Pro on Android 14, and a Galaxy A13 on Android 12. The oldest phone matters most: an editor that only feels fast on a flagship is not fast.
The File Checks
Before install, the file is checked for its package name, its developer identity and its size behaviour, then scanned with the phone security tool. After install, the app must open to the editor it claims to be, with no extra bundled installers and no permission requests beyond what a photo editor needs.
The Photo Trials
Photo apps face a fixed set of test images: RAW files with wide dynamic range, a portrait in mixed indoor light, a landscape with a washed out sky, a night street scene and a group photo with a cluttered background. Each AI tool is scored on the result at full size, on export quality in every format offered, and on how gracefully it fails when pushed too far.
The Write-Up
Scores and claims in a review come only from those trials. Limits are written next to strengths, subscription gates are stated plainly, and when a new build changes a result, the page is retested and corrected.